OER DIGEST - June 16, 2022
Aishah Abdullah (SPARC) | Volume 155 | June 16, 2022
THE OER DIGEST
Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders
OPEN ACCESS WEEK THEME: The Open Access Week Advisory Committee announced that “Open for Climate Justice” is the theme for this year’s International Open Access Week, which will take place on October 24-30. This year’s focus on Climate Justice seeks to encourage connection and collaboration among the climate movement and the international open community. Tackling the climate crisis requires the rapid exchange of knowledge across geographic, economic, and disciplinary boundaries. The theme announcement was launched in sync with the new OA Week website where you can find all the information on the theme, dates, and more.
U.S. OPEN TEXTBOOK PILOT UPDATE: The 2022 application period for the Open Textbook Pilot program is open. The grant competition will award approximately $2.6 million in federal funds to higher education institutions to create new open textbooks and expand the use of open textbooks. Applications are due July 25, 2022, and the Department of Education will hold pre-application webinars on June 23 and 29th (see slides here). The Department is also calling for Peer Reviewers.
OPEN CONNECTIONS
Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities
APPLY NOW: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is hiring an Open Educational Resources & Scholarly Communications Librarian who will work collaboratively across Library & Information Services (LIS). Apply by July 15, 2022.
APPLY NOW: Open Oregon Educational Resources seeks an Open Education Instructional Technologist to work remotely to provide technical support services in developing openly licensed course materials. Please submit a cover letter, quote, and resume by July 30, 2022.
APPLY NOW: The Open Education Network is accepting applications for faculty and librarian partners to receive a certification for open educational practices (OEP). Application deadline: August 5, 2022.
APPLY NOW: Apply to run a Wikipedia assignment in Fall 2022, and ensure that the world has access to reliable and accurate information. Wiki Education's support is fully funded, and there are no fees to run a Wikipedia assignment. The deadline to run the assignment in Fall 2022 is July 29. To get started click here.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted
FROM NIGERIA: The National Universities Commission (NUC) recently shared that its Open Educational Resources repository currently has over two million resources. The resources are in a variety of forms such as courseware, lecture notes, textbooks, videos, maps, podcasts, conference presentations, and journals. Established in 2017, the facility which is maintained by the Commission is currently held by 153 Nigerian universities. According to the Commission, the OER repository was established as part of efforts to revitalize the academic content of the nation’s Universities as well as improve the quality of teaching and learning. Read More >>
FROM NORTH CAROLINA: The UNC Press is dedicated to combating the rising cost of textbooks. They made a commitment to open educational resources and recently released a new edition of a calculus textbook that is available for anyone, anywhere. The Press, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is located on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill. In past years it has focused on its mission as a system-wide publication outlet, as well as its service to the 16 universities in the system, their faculties and students. Their goal is to expand access and resources to students across the state. Read More >>
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Pressbooks published a new open resource, Critical Thinking in Academic Research. This publication will introduce students to the techniques and principles of critical thinking. This text provides guidance on developing research questions and finding resources to answer them.
WEIGH-IN
Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider
Great to Share >>
Pathways Project Publishes New Open Educational Resource | Boise State University
Interesting to Consider >>
Open Access | Wittenberg University
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